puis-je avoir ceci en français ?
The English phrase "can I have this in french?" is translated into French as puis-je avoir ceci en français ?
Which one should you use?
The word ceci is a formal demonstrative pronoun used for things, whereas ça is the much more common, informal way to say "this" or "that" in conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form puis-je avoir ceci en français ? is highly formal. In everyday spoken French, est-ce que je peux avoir ça en français ? is a more natural and common way to ask this than the formal inversion. For a very polite request, you can also say Pourrais-je l'avoir en français, s'il vous plaît? If you are in a casual setting, you might use the informal Je peux l'avoir en français?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form puis-je is a special, formal version of peux-je used specifically for inversion in questions.
Did you know?
- The verb avoir is used in French to express many states that English describes with 'to be' such as hunger avoir faim or age avoir X ans.
- In a bakery or café, a French person would rarely use puis-je avoir and would instead use je vais prendre which means 'I am going to take'.
- The word français derives from the name of the 'Franks', a Germanic tribe that played a central role in the formation of the nation.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, est-ce que je peux avoir ce menu en français, s'il vous plaît?Excuse me, can I have this menu in French, please?
- Est-ce que je peux avoir ce livre en français?Can I have this book in French?
Example conversation
Léa is asking Gabriel for a translated version of a menu.
- LéaPuis-je avoir ceci en français ?Can I have this in French?
- GabrielOui, je vais vous l'apporter.Yes, I will bring it to you.
- LéaMerci beaucoup, Gabriel.Thank you very much, Gabriel.
- GabrielJe vous en prie, Léa.You're welcome, Léa.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avoir, ceci, en, français, CC BY-SA 4.0.
